ShareVIENNA: Kuwait and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations Thursday at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. This event, hosted by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and Kuwait’s Ambassador to Austria Talal Al-Fassam, coincides with the 68th annual IAEA General Conference, which began on Monday at the United Nations Office in Vienna and concludes Friday.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ambassador Al-Fassam affirmed Kuwait’s continuous keenness on cooperating with the IAEA’s various departments to execute key projects for economic and social development.
Kuwait has held prominent positions within IAEA, including chairing the IAEA Board of Governors, the second-highest authority in the agency, in 2003, and presiding over the 65th General Conference in 2021. A celebration was due to be held on Thursday evening in attendance of numerous Arab and foreign ambassadors and international officials. Additionally, a book will be launched, reflecting on the 60-year partnership and providing an analytical review of current trends, challenges, and prospects in utilizing nuclear energy for sustainable development.
Kuwait’s cooperation with IAEA has been significant, particularly in the responsible use of nuclear technologies, contributing to Kuwait’s scientific and technological development. Over the past 60 years, Kuwait has supported IAEA, contributing to the modernization of its laboratories in Seibersdorf, the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI), and the establishment of the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank. Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has also participated in a joint exhibition with IAEA at the UN Climate Change Conference, showcasing the Kuwaiti research prowess.
Kuwait’s collaboration with IAEA extends beyond nuclear safety and security to include various fields like science, technology, agriculture, and health. Ambassador Al-Fassam expressed Kuwait’s pride in hosting three regional service and centers with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the fields of medicine, marine environment and radiation protection, and said that these centers were selected by the agency to help them implement their research programs and support regional and international projects. The Environmental and Life Sciences Research Center at KISR has been selected as a cooperation center with the agency in 2023-2024 to monitor radioactive marine pollution. He said Kuwait’s work with IAEA stems from the country’s belief in the need for joint action and international cooperation to confront pressing global issues such as climate change and ocean pollution, expressing his aspiration to continue the process of cooperation and strengthen it to wider horizons.
Through its embassy in Vienna, Kuwait has continuously worked to strengthen this relationship and seeks to explore new partnerships through IAEA initiatives, including the Rays of Hope initiative. Last week, a high-level delegation from Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC) visited IAEA to enhance radiotherapy services for cancer patients and explore opportunities for Kuwait to become a regional hub for the Rays of Hope initiative.
Iran should work with IAEA
Fassam emphasized the right of all nations to utilized nuclear power for peaceful initiatives. He called on Iran to commit to cooperating with the IAEA. He also looked forward to Iran’s ratification and implementation of the Additional Inspection Protocol so that the Agency could be in a position to provide credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran and to ensure its continued status as a non-nuclear-weapon state. Fassam commended the efforts of the Director General of the IAEA and its specialized experts in ensuring the safety and security of all nuclear facilities, including those located in conflict zones. He stressed the importance of cooperation of all parties concerned to avoid a nuclear disaster and protect the world from its devastating repercussions.
Kuwait has been committed, said Fassam, to submitting its national reports to the meetings of the contracting parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. He also highlighted Kuwait declaring support for the Code of Conduct for the Security of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials in March 2024 to become the 151st country committed to this international initiative.
Zionist entity’s flagrant violations
Ambassador Al-Fassam said that Kuwait is committed to the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. He pointed out the Zionist entity’s refusal to join the the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its rejection of IAEA safeguards on some of its principle nuclear activities.
“We note the commitment of all countries of the Middle East ... with the exception of the Zionist entity, which continues to refuse to subject all its nuclear facilities to the comprehensive safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency and also refuses to take any initiatives or even to take serious steps in this path to enable the agency to implement comprehensive safeguards in the Middle East or to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
He added that the Zionist entity not only rejects the initiatives, but is also continuing non-compliance and flagrant violation of many resolutions of international legitimacy related to nuclear weapons. “The State of Kuwait stresses the importance of the international community shouldering its responsibilities by stressing the need for the Zionist entity to accede to the NPT, comply with the provisions of the treaty and place all its nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency.”
